10. Korech

A Reminder of the Temple

Leader breaks the undermost matzah and distributes it along with the bitter herbs and haroset, then says:

While the Temple yet stood, Hillel introduced a custom of his own into the Seder service: he would put together a piece of the Paschal offering, a piece of matzah and a piece of the bitter herb, and eat all three together, in accordance with the verse in Scripture: They shall eat it upon unleavened bread and bitter herbs. (Exodus 12.8) In this way he said that he could taste slavery and freedom at the same time. It reminds me of our human condition: it is easier to take the man out of Egypt than to take Egypt out of the man. Even after being brought to freedom, we still carry the marks of our former bondage within us that must be cleansed. So within each of us are traces of the bitterness of our bondage, sweet remembrances of our good works, and the unleavened bread of freedom in the walk in the Spirit.